The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-03
JACOB sHARP's WIFE.
She Tells of Her Long. Happy Life with the
Convicted Man.

Convicted Man.
New York World.
Only twice during recent years has favor been
shown to prisoners in Ludlow street Jail to the
extent of allowing mans wife to share his inn
prisonment. Both of these exceptions were in
some. rashionaols Mrs Ferdinand Ward re-,
manned with her husband to nurse him throu gh
the illness which overlook him there. The Sec
ond case is that at present before our eyes-the
frail, loving old wife of Jacob Sharp sharing his
confinement.
To one upon whom such burden has never
come, the presence of Mrs. Sharp in the county
Jail with her convicted husband seems only a
most natural easy thing, but it is proving to her
burden almost greater than she can bear. Mrs.
Sharp remains beside her husband every night
and all night-sittng by his bedside, eagerly
anticipating his every wish.
'God gave me my dear husband" she says to
all who try to comfort her, land he has given US
great happiness together l trust him."
Mrs. Sharp is delicate woman. dignihed and
charming for one who must certainly be nearly
seventy years old When a woman, and a
stranger, sent in card on Wednesday mornin 6
word came back at once: Mrs. Sharp does not
rememb Der the name but she will be glad to re-
ceive you" And when the visitor entered the
cheerful breakfast-foom that looks out upon the
courtyard in the center of the Jail Mrs. Sharp
stood with hand outstretched to woman she
never saw before.
What can do for you, my childq" she said.
There smile tine delicate pale face,
and the voice was weak and almost broken, but
the look, as we'll the tone was that of a
RonCle woman whose HEbt LuOuRnb, even
in her trouble, was that she could ''be
of use" to else. The unconven-
tional speech made the conversation that
would so easily have been strained natural and
free. Mrs. Sharp very soon spoke of her dear
husband" as she always calls him, in the tender
est and most unaffected way. At the same time
she spoke feelinely of the burden that they have
been carrying together and which has seemed
so unnecessarily severe rThey are killing US
BOTH" she said passionately. "We are old peo-
pie now. and every stroke tells upon us Mrs.
Sbar IS hav in en-
were very near the end of the days she might
expect to be granted her, but seeing her
for the first time would think of her being
"old." Indeed q man who has seen her a num-
Der of times about the Jail spoke of her as being
about forty-eight fifty years of age. Her
hair is quite gray now, and is worn in soft waves
real womanly eyes. Her nose is straight and
fine, and the whole type of face is, near
as 1t may be expressed. that which is
New News Epe sIaiA1 Iadv.1 Not 0 ths strong.
determined New England womans face, but the
quiet, refined, somewhat penslve countenance
that follows years OF repression, thoughtfuness
and In height Mrs. Sharp is about five
feet two or three, and in figure neither generous
slight. In short, taken all in all. the wife of
this man, whose mama is on every tongue, is just
the woman whom his disgrace most cruelty
hurts, but whose love will outlast il all. Dign1-
fed. sympathetic, loving and a Christian woman,
it Is small wonder that the bond between them
should be so close. How close this bond has
been Mrs. Sharps own words tell best. Speak
ing of their happy life together. she said:
I'VE have been so happy, my dear husband
and l. He has been everything TO me that a
woman could ask or desire My every wish. my
slightest fancy, it has always been his pleasure
to fulfil Oh. mad been looking forward so
to next year, Fifty years we should have been
married the 23d of next March"
- Should have BEEN Mrs. SHARPE"
Eyes, yes. should have beenn 1t is killing my
dear husband before my eyes. this terrible
trouble, and l know that if anything should
happen to him / should go too. We have
been happy too long for one to De content with
out the other now"
But surely. you do not feel seriously
alarmed about Mr. Sharp's condition. He is not
worsep
Not worse perhaps in one way, but he is
weak. No one but myself and his physicians
know how weak He has been so brave about it,
almost foolishly brave 1t has seemed some
meant; he has been strict about allowing
anything to be done that could possibly be
construed into a desire for effect He
has not allowed me to go to the courtroom
for fear partly of the effect 1t would have
me and partly for fear 1t would seem like trying
his seat for hours when he was positively unfit
to be out of his bed. and has been CHEEKY and
helpful to me as he could be. Not even to
me has he complained of the unnecessary things
that have been done to make the disgrace more
deep and Infamous
Even while she talked, Mrs. Sharp kept glanc-
ing anxious]y at the room wherein her husband
finished speaking the trim young woman, who
had been laying the table, motIoned TO her, but
Mrs. Sharp waved her away. 1t seemed If it
were relief to her to speak. and speak freely
''Oh, If they only knew him as know him"
she continued. Il have been his wife for nearly